Pearl
by CleverAsEver
Summary: Plato is a shy cat; always in the background, never making himself known. That is, until one chance encounter on a midnight stroll changes everything.
1. Chapter 1

_Pearl_

 _by CleverAsEver_

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 **A/N:** Welcome to my first-ever attempt at a multi-chapter story! I really hope you enjoy this little bit of Platoria - quite rare nowadays, it seems... Without futher ado, I present the first chapter of Pearl!

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It was early in the morning. The sky was dark. There was not a sound in the Junkyard – all was at peace. There was only the occasional gust of the wind through the cool night to break the cold silence.

In his den, Plato lay restlessly, tossing and turning. He just couldn't seem to fall asleep, no matter what he tried. He considered going to his parents, but quickly decided against it – he was a tom, and grown toms didn't go running to their mothers and fathers if they couldn't sleep. Plus, what if he woke up the rest of the tribe? Was he willing to risk that? No, it would be best to deal with this issue himself, he decided.

Eventually, he sighed and sat up. A walk might do him good, he decided.

He slowly crawled out of his den, careful to keep quiet so as to not disturb any of the other Jellicles. He wandered around aimlessly, trying to clear his mind. He let the cold, dewy grass engulf his feet.

He inhaled deeply, letting the cool, earthy scent of the night wash over him. It was certainly one of his favorite scents. The smell of the dew on the grass, the faint musk of the soil and earth... It was all so mesmerizing. He stood still for a moment, eyes closed, drinking it all in.

Suddenly, the scent changed. This new scent was sour and metallic; it was overbearing. It choked him.

It was the smell of mating.

No, not just that. That was certainly part of it, but there was something else to it. Something that made Plato nauseous.

It was the smell of blood.

Plato stiffened, crinkling his nose as the scent grew stronger. Who could possibly be mating at this time? And why could he smell blood?

He came up to a tall field of wheat. The wheat brushed and bristled gently against his fur, coming up almost to his shoulders. He carefully stepped into the field, trying to slide as quietly as possible in between the lofty plants.

He soon realized that the scent was coming from somewhere within the field.

That fact made him shiver, his fur standing on end. The field was massive, the plants tall; it was entirely possible that if anything happened here, no one would ever find out about it.

Did he really want to do this?

Plato wasn't a courageous cat by nature; under normal circumstances, he would have turned around and scampered straight home. But today, he felt a strange compulsion, a calling; to go and investigate. He slowly crouched further down, trying to hide himself as much as possible. He prowled around slowly for what seemed like an eternity, trying to locate the source of the peculiar smell. The smell grew stronger and stronger.

He was getting close.

He saw a silhouette in the distance. The scent was now stronger than ever. Whatever was going on, it was happening here. Plato slowly crawled forward on his hands and knees, trying as best as he could remain hidden.

It was Macavity.

Plato wanted to run, but his body was frozen in shock.

Macavity was lying on top of something; upon closer inspection, it looked like a cat. A pale paw popped into view briefly, grabbing at the air weakly in a futile attempt to escape Macavity's iron grip. Macavity roughly pushed the cat in question to the side, throwing them to the ground harshly. His head then suddenly snapped up, his eyes looking straight into Plato's own, as if he were boring a hole into his skull. His face contorted into a twisted grin, his eyes glowing red as he spoke.

"I'm finished with her. Want a go?"

Plato felt a rush of adrenaline kick in. He snarled, jumping towards him with all his might. He extended his claws, aiming for Macavity's abdomen. But when he landed, all he felt was damp, thick soil.

Macavity had vanished into thin air.

Shaking off his shock and the pain of his hard landing, Plato hurriedly rushed to his feet and scrambled to the side of the injured cat, beginning to examine her.

The cat appeared to be a young queen, probably around his own age, Plato guessed. She was shaking violently. Her body was covered with scratches, her white fur stained with streaks and spots of blood. Her face was no exception, being not only stained with blood but dry tears. Her eyes were squeezed shut tightly as she shivered and shook, whimpering. Plato looked down. The blood ran all the way to…

No. It couldn't be.

But no matter how much Plato denied it, the obvious remained undeniable.

Plato's paws shook as he sank to his knees. She looked so innocent. She didn't deserve any of this. No one did.

Plato carefully scooped her up and ran back to the junkyard as fast as he could.

Plato loudly banged on the door to Jennyanydots's den. He nervously looked down at the white queen in his arms. She was still shivering violently, despite Plato's attempts at warming her up with his body heat. Was she having a seizure? He couldn't tell. Regardless, he continued to bang on the door.

Just as he was about to start shouting again, Jennyanydots finally answered the door, her eyes drooping from drowsiness. She took one look at the white queen, her eyes widening as she did so. Without a word, she grabbed Plato's arm and pulled them both inside the den.

"Skimble! Get the bandages!" she shouted, pulling the white queen out of Plato's arms and laying her on a nearby couch. She rushed over to a cabinet, hurriedly grabbing some pillows and blanket to pad her head and shoulders and cover her body. A sleepy Skimbleshanks drowsily stumbled around the corner. He took one look at the queen before swiftly grabbing an armful of gauze and what Plato assumed were bottles of some sort of ointment from a nearby cupboard and hurriedly scampering over to Jenny, his sleepiness completely forgotten. Jenny glanced over at Plato, gesturing to a nearby chair.

"Sit there and wait." She said pointing to an old rocking chair in the corner of the room.

Plato nodded vigorously, too shocked to speak. He slowly walked over to the chair and sat down, eyes still focused on the three cats and the couch.

Jennyanydots carefully cleaned out her wounds with a damp cloth, wiping her fur to get rid of the blood stains as Skimbleshanks gingerly wrapped her wounds. The queen whimpered gently.

"It's okay, dear. You're in good hands." Jenny soothed.

Plato shifted around in the old wooden chair, watching intently. The scent of blood filled the air, creating a dank, rusty smell that suffocated Plato. He watched as the two cats moved quickly, cleaning and wrapping the white queen's wounds. The pile of used gauze soaked with blood grew and grew.

Finally, they were finished. Jenny carefully placed a blanket on the queen, tucking it over her shoulders. The two cats stood up and walked towards Plato, crouching before him. Jenny sighed and shook her head.

"Thank Everlasting you found her. She might be…well, dead by now if you hadn't."

Skimbleshanks frowned. "Look, do you know what happened, lad?"

Plato shrugged and shook his head. Jenny sighed.

"It's okay, we understand you're tired. We'll talk in the morning. Now, go get some rest, okay?"

Plato simply nodded. Jenny gently smiled and nodded before slowly walking out of the room, Skimbleshanks following behind her. He slowly rose from his chair and walked towards the queen, silently pulling a stool in place for him to sit down on. She lay shivering and whimpering, her paws clutching the fabric of the blanket. Even in sleep, she had the most terrified look on her face, her eyes squeezed shut as small teardrops formed at the corners of her eyes. He had never seen anyone so scared in his life.

He hesitated for some time, not sure what to do. After a while, he slowly brought his paw up to gently wipe at her tears, doing his best to not disturb her.

After some time, Plato noticed that she had stopped shaking. Her face had relaxed; she seemed almost calm. The room was quiet.

For the first time, he noticed how pure her fur was now that it was clean. She had few distinguishing markings – her fur was white from head to toe. It reflected the dim yellow light of the room in just the right way, making her look almost angelic. Almost as if she were a pearl plucked straight from the oyster of the Everlasting.

Plato felt something on his chest. Looking down, he saw that the queen was clutching his chest fur gently. It was obvious she didn't want him to leave. Plato felt her paws; they were ice cold. He took hold of her paws, holding them close to him to warm them up.

She began to purr.

Her purrs were light and warm, almost melodic in its own way. It was a beautiful sound; in fact, it was the most beautiful sound Plato had ever heard.

Plato sighed and brushed her head-fur gently, bending over onto the bed and resting his head on his arms. Soon, he found himself beginning to drift off. He surrendered to the feeling as it washed over him, slowly pulling him into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So, second chapter! Woo! *cheers* Thanks so much to Delphicoracle-Cat (or simply, Delphi) for beta-ing this chapter, and thanks so much to all you reviewers for giving me some writing fuel to work with! Without further ado, Chapter 2! Here we go!

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Plato slowly came to his senses, cracking open his eyes and gently lifting his head up.

Light streamed in through a nearby window, filling the room with a white aura. It was day again.

He slowly rose to a sitting position, blinking blearily and rubbing his eyes with his paws. He definitely hadn't slept well last night – his back and neck ached something terrible from his bent-over posture. Where was he again? The last thing he remembered was putting his head down on the couch next to the white queen for a quick nap…

The white queen. Where was she? Was she alright?

Plato blinked and looked around quickly. Yes, she was right there, still fast asleep on the couch. Her chest lightly rose and fell with the light sighing of her breaths. She appeared to have snuggled up closer to him in her sleep; her legs were tucked up near where his chest had been and her paws rested lightly beside him. For a moment, he contemplated waking her up, but decided against it – she had gone through a lot last night. Far more than anyone should ever go through. She deserved some undisturbed rest while she could get it.

Plato stretched for a moment, slowly looking around the room. In yesterday's rush, he had solely been focused on the queen and the events taking place; he hadn't had time to take much notice of his surroundings.

Aside from the two of them, the room appeared devoid of other presences. The door was slightly ajar. The gauze and used bandages from yesterday had been discarded; the smell of flowers filled the room, emanating from a small vase of assorted flowers sitting on a nearby table. Two cups of water sat next to the vase – Plato took one and gingerly gripped it, bringing it to his mouth and drinking rapidly; his throat was parched.

The door opened. Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots slowly walked through, talking softly. Jennyanydots was the first to notice Plato. She smiled, slowly walking towards him and pulling up a nearby stool to sit on. Skimbleshanks did the same, speaking up.

"You slept well last night, lad?"

Plato shrugged.

Jennyanydots gave him a kind smile. "We noticed that you'd fallen asleep here last night. We were going to wake you up, but you looked so peaceful that we decided to leave you be."

Plato glanced downwards, blushing gently.

Skimbleshanks spoke gently. "What happened out there, lad?"

Plato bit his lip, looking down at the floor. Skimbleshanks sensed his discomfort and reached out to pat his shoulder, his expression sympathetic.

"Look, I know what happened out there must've been bad, 'kay? But we need to know, so we can help this queen here."

Plato sighed, shaking his head. After a long pause, he opened his mouth.

"I…I couldn't sleep yesterday, so I thought I'd go for a walk. I was out by the meadow, near the fields. Then, I smelled…the scent of blood. A-and mating." Plato took a deep breath. "I decided to go find out what was going on. I tracked the smell to a nearby field. I walked in and…and…"

He broke off, staring into the distance. Jennyanydots silently nodded, urging him to go on.

"I saw Macavity." Both Jennyanydots's and Skimbleshanks's eyes widened. "He…he was on top of her. He pushed her to the side and…asked me if I wanted to, well…you know."

Skimbleshanks gently probed him. "Wanted to what?"

Plato gulped. Taking another deep breath, he continued. "He…he asked if I…wanted a go. I jumped at him, but he vanished before I could touch him." Biting his lip, he continued. "Then, I brought her here."

He fell silent, looking at the white queen then back down at the floor. After a brief moment, Skimbleshanks spoke up again.

"Well…thank you for doing that, and thank you for telling us. That was very brave of you, lad."

Plato nodding bashfully, looking down.

Jennyanydots spoke up. "Does this happen often? Not being able to sleep and going for a walk, I mean."

Plato shrugged. "I...I guess… It just happens sometimes. That was my first time going out for a walk, though."

The two older cats looked at each other briefly, both nodding. Skimbleshanks spoke. "Do you have any idea who she might be?"

Plato shook his head. Skimbleshanks nodded, sighing.

"Well, lad, I don't know what to say to 'ya. I guess we'll make an announcement to the tribe later today about this matter. We'll need to talk 'ta Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap as well. She'll need a place to stay, too…"

Plato found himself speaking up. "I'll do it."

Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots looked at him quizzically, both frowning. Jennyanydots was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry…what?"

Plato took a deep breath, calming his nerves. He was rarely this outspoken.

"I'll take care of her."

The two elder cats looked at each other confusedly, then back at him. After a brief pause, Skimbleshanks leaned forward slightly. "Are you sure, lad?" He said.

Plato swallowed and nodded.

Jennyanydots frowned. "That's a big responsibility, volunteering to take care of her. You'll need to monitor her recovery very carefully.

Plato nodded. Jennyanydots continued. "Not only that, you will have to help her rehabilitate to life in the junkyard, especially after…what happened. Are you absolutely sure you're up to the task?"

Plato stayed silent for a moment, contemplating what she had said. Truth be told, he actually didn't feel very sure if he was up to the task, but that same calling that had been there last night – the same one that had motivated him to go searching in those fields – had returned. He had to do this.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks looked at each other once more, frowning. The two cats stood up. "One moment, Jenny and I need to talk about this. Stay right here, okay?" Skimbleshanks said.

Plato nodded.

The two cats walked out of the room, turning the corner. Plato tried to listen in on their conversation, but from his position could only catch a few snippets of what they were saying.

"…but what if he…"

"…suitable enough? I…"

"…just came of age…"

"…perhaps this might…"

The two re-emerged through the door, taking their seats. Skimbleshanks nodded to Jennyanydots, who began speaking.

"Well, we've decided to let you take care of her, at least temporarily." Plato nodded, smiling for the first time that day. Skimbleshanks took over. "She'll hafta stay here for a little while, just so she can recover. As soon as she's able, we'll let you take her. She'll still need to come back here occasionally so that we can check on her recovery progress, alright?"

Plato nodded vigorously. "A-alright then."

There was the sound of rustling blankets behind them. The air was punctuated by a sharp scream.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry for the somewhat-late chapter - I've been quite busy as of late. I'll try and stick to a schedule of at least one chapter every two weeks from now on, although I have no idea if that'll last. Anyway... As with the last chapter, many thanks to Delphi for beta-ing this one! As usual, reviews are much appreciated. Without further ado, enjoy!

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 _There was the sound of rustling blankets behind them. The air was punctuated by a sharp scream._

Plato's head jerked backwards in shock, his body tensing up. His eyes scanned the room frantically, his gaze quickly falling on the white queen.

She was awake. She looked around the room rapidly, her fur visibly stood up on edge. She shook in fear, her body tense as she brought her legs closer to her, curling her body into a defensive posture. Her claws were unsheathed, her tail puffed up; yet, her eyes betrayed her true emotions, her fear and uncertainty. Her eyes flitted around the room rapidly; her eyelids were opened wide, her pupils dilated. Her red eyes brimmed with tears.

She was terrified.

Plato was by her side in an instant, crouching down next to the bed, his features clouded with concern. He hesitantly brushed her shoulder. "Hey… you alright?" He asked softly.

She stiffened, jerking away from his touch. Instantly filled with regret, Plato jerked his hand away. What had he been thinking? She was clearly having a breakdown; she might even have been traumatized, and here he was-

She began to sob.

First quiet sniffles, slowly cascading into full blown sobs racking her body, tears streaming down her face. Her slight frame shuddered under the weight of her tears.

Unsure of quite what to do, Plato hesitated briefly, then slowly reached in and nuzzled her neck gently. The queen froze; her instincts were telling her to run, yet his fur, his scent…there was something familiar, something reassuring to it.

Slowly, she relaxed, letting out a shuddering sigh. Taking in a deep breath; Plato took this cue to wrap his arm around her back, embracing her lightly; to his surprise, she reciprocated, gripping his fur lightly yet firmly. "It's okay…you're safe now. You're safe here," he whispered into her ear.

After what seemed like an eternity, her sniffling and shaking finally stopped. Plato gently and silently brushed her head fur. No words were said; none were necessary. Wordlessly, he offered her the other, untouched cup of water – she took it, her expression grateful, first sipping gently then gulping it down without restraint.

Eventually, he looked up, suddenly remembering Jennyanydots' and Skimbleshanks's presence; he glanced in their direction, smiling bashfully. They glanced at each other; they both had a 'look' on their faces, one of bemusement and veiled interest, yet Plato couldn't decipher what exactly they meant.

They smiled back at him, Skimbleshanks getting up and making his way over, stool in hand. Plato lightly shook the queen's shoulder, gently untangling himself from her embrace yet keeping a firm hold on her paw. Slowly, both cats turned to face Skimbleshanks, the queen wearing a confused and slightly fearful expression on her face. Her grip on Plato's paw tightened, Plato reciprocating the action.

Skimbleshanks, sensing their discomfort, spoke up to break the silence.

"Lass, 'ya alright?"

The queen nodded meekly.

"Dearie, do you remember what happened?"

The two cats' heads shot up at the new voice entering the conversation. In the midst of everything, Jennyanydots had walked over as well, crouching down on the floor.

The queen didn't move; to a casual observer, she would have looked like she hadn't responded at all. However, Plato could sense the minute tensing of her body, the subtle shift of her expression.

Skimbleshanks pressed on. "'Lass, I'm sorry if it's uncomfortable, really. We really do have to know, though – we need to keep all of us safe from...him."

At the mention of 'him', she reacted immediately. Her breathing became shallower and more rapid; her tail began to swish from side to side in fear. Unconsciously, she shifted closer to Plato, curling up near his arm.

Plato froze briefly in nervousness – he wasn't used to this sort of situation at all and, frankly speaking, had no idea how to respond. Slowly, he reached out, ruffling her shoulder fur softly, sensing her relax slightly in response. He shot a glance at Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots, seeing the two cats hesitate briefly. Skimbleshanks raised his hands in defeat.

"Okay… let's save this for later then." After a brief pause, Jennyanydots spoke up, "Well, anyway, we'd be glad to take care of you. Do you know where you are right now?"

The queen shook her head gently. Jennyanydots continued, "This is the Jellicle Junkyard – all of us here are members of the Jellicle Tribe. You're free to stay here as long as you wish."

The queen nodded gently. Skimbleshanks took over, "Ya know, it really was a miracle when Plato here found 'ya, you know." Gesturing to Plato, he continued, "Here, why don't 'cha tell her how it all happened?"

Plato shook his head gently.

The queen looked at Skimbleshanks quizzically, then turned her gaze back at Plato, her eyes asking him the unspoken question. Plato gently nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Jennyanydots spoke up. "So Plato here volunteered to take you in while you're recovering." At the mention of this, the queen looked at him, eyebrows slightly raised; Plato blushed furiously, looking away.

Jennyanydots continued, "Now, of course you're free to leave whenever you wish, but we'd all prefer if you stayed here for a bit longer, for your safety and to help you recover."

The queen nodded. There was a brief silence. The queen looked at Plato, her expression unreadable; Plato looked up at her, their gazes meeting. The two remained motionless.

"What's your name?" Plato hadn't even realized he had spoken until he had said it.

The queen bit her lip, hesitating slightly. Plato scrambled to respond, "Oh, I-I don't-if you don't want to say, it's okay, I mean, I-"

Her lips parted.

"V-Victoria."


End file.
